Teaming Up with the Lieutenant Governor to End Gun Violence in California

Last updated October 15, 2015.

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence is proud to join California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom in launching the Safety for All ballot initiative, a series of lifesaving smart gun laws that will further strengthen the Golden State’s commitment to improving public safety.

The announcement was made at 101 California Street in San Francisco—the site of the 1993 mass shooting at the law firm Pettit & Martin that killed eight and injured six. The Law Center was founded in the wake of that tragedy more than two decades ago, and since then we’ve become the premier resource for legal expertise and information about America’s gun laws.

The initiative will include five provisions, which will appear on the November 2016 ballot:

Prohibit Possession of Large-Capacity Military-Style Magazines: The Safety for All initiative outlaws possession of large-capacity magazines of 11 rounds or more and provides for their legal disposal. If passed, California would join New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia in banning possession of these military-style magazines.

Treat Ammunition Sales Like Gun Sales: The initiative requires licensing of ammunition vendors and point-of-sale background checks for ammunition purchases. Under the initiative, if a person is convicted of a felony, a violent misdemeanor, has a restraining order, or has been declared dangerously mentally ill, they will no longer be able to buy ammunition in California. California would be the first state to require ammunition background checks at the point of sale.

Ensure People Prohibited from Owning Guns Do Not Possess Them: The initiative defines a clear firearms relinquishment process for those convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor.

Require Reporting Lost or Stolen Guns: The initiative requires firearm owners to notify law enforcement if their firearm has been lost or stolen. With the Safety for All initiative, California would join 11 other states and the City of Sacramento in requiring lost and/or stolen firearm reporting.

California has long led the nation when it comes to passing the smart gun laws that save lives, and this ballot initiative furthers that leadership by keeping guns and ammunition away from dangerous people. We’re proud to stand with Lieutenant Governor Newsom in the fight to bring sanity back to America’s gun laws.